Employers increasingly want to see relevant work experience in new college graduates, with 95% of employers surveyed saying candidate experience is important in hiring decisions. Internships provide valuable experience that gives candidates an advantage over those without internships. Employers see internship programs as the best way to hire entry-level candidates, with many large companies converting over half of their interns to full-time employees.

1. Employers increasingly want to see experience in the new college grads they hire.A staggering 95 of employers said candidate experience is a factor in hiring decisions, according to an annual survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).If you have completed internships, you will clearly have an edge over your classmates who haven't. In an Associated Press article, reporter Emily Fredrix quotes Philip D. Gardner, research director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute, as saying that internship experience is "just one of those things you have to have before employers will even consider looking at your resume."

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5. You may get paid more when you graduate if you've done one or more internships.Even back in 2005, NACE reported that surveyed employers that hired entry-level candidates with internship/co-op experience paid them 6.5 more than those without the experience.

6. You could earn college credit toward your degree.Many if not most colleges provide credit for eligible internships. Check with your faculty adviser or career-services office to see what your school's or major-department's policies are.

7. Internships enable you to take your career plan for a test drive.You might discover by interning in your planned career field that it's not what you thought it would be like. You can also test out career paths not in your major. You could do an internship in the other field to decide how strong your interest really is and whether you want to beef up your studies in that field.

8. You will build your resume.Any kind of experience on your resume is helpful, but career-relevant internship experience will make a better impression on employers than your serving job at Applebee's.

9. You might make money. Not all internships are paid, of course, but those that do pay can yield pretty decent salaries. Employers queried in NACE's 2008 Experiential Education Survey reported offering their undergraduate interns an average of $16.33 per hour http://www.quintcareers.com/internship_importance.html

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